Perez Hilton’s sister, Barbara Lavandeira, has revealed harrowing new details about the celebrity blogger’s August crisis through newly released 911 audio.
Barbara, who was granted access to the dispatch recording on Thursday, told a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office dispatcher that her brother was “having a meltdown” at his Miami home. She gave the address and her own cell phone number before describing Hilton — born Mario Lavandeira Jr. — as “all cut up” and “covered in blood.”
“I can’t tell from where, but he’s covered in blood,” she said in the call.
She confirmed to the dispatcher that Hilton was “awake in the bathroom” and breathing, but noted he had “a box cutter or a knife,” though she “couldn’t see” exactly what he was using. Barbara had stepped out of the house and was in her vehicle with her own daughter and Hilton’s three children — Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8 — at the time of the call. She added that she didn’t think he would harm anyone else.
The audio release marks the most detailed firsthand account yet of the Aug. 4 incident, which authorities responded to as a suicide attempt. Barbara previously said that day was “one of the darkest days my family and I have ever experienced.” The family fled the home moments before Hilton began live-streaming on TikTok, an episode that resulted in injuries requiring surgery and “significant blood loss,” according to reports.
Hilton spent weeks hospitalized before his transfer in September to a local residential treatment facility. His mother, Teresita Lavandeira, was granted temporary custody of his three children following the incident.
The blogger’s supervised family contact has been gradually expanding. A Sept. 29 post on Hilton’s website stated that he and his children “were first able to spend time together through a few video calls, and since then, Perez has also been able to see his children and his mom a few times for short, supervised visits at the facility.”
“Seeing his children in person has meant an enormous amount to Perez,” the statement continued, adding that contact remained “limited” as he processed what led to the apparent suicide attempt and worked on “learning better ways to cope.”
Barbara’s 911 call also revealed that Hilton had been “suicidal” and “cutting himself” the previous week, suggesting the Aug. 4 livestream represented an escalation of ongoing distress rather than an isolated episode.
The disclosure comes as Hilton approaches nearly two weeks of continuous hospitalization and residential care, with his family continuing to manage both his recovery and the children’s stability. The temporary custody arrangement through Teresita remains in place, with supervised visits serving as the primary channel for Hilton’s parental connection during treatment.
Mental health advocates note that the family’s public handling of the crisis — through official statements and Barbara’s willingness to share her emergency call — has kept focus on Hilton’s recovery rather than speculation about the incident itself.
The livestream that triggered the emergency response showed Hilton apparently self-harming, prompting viewers to alert authorities. The video spread rapidly across social platforms before removal, generating widespread concern about both Hilton’s wellbeing and the platform’s content moderation protocols during mental health emergencies.
Hilton’s career as one of the internet’s original celebrity gossip bloggers has spanned nearly two decades, with his site pioneering the fusion of personal commentary and paparazzi photography that now dominates entertainment coverage. The Aug. 4 incident represented a stark reversal of his usual position as observer rather than subject of public drama.
His residential treatment program is expected to continue with family visit protocols in place.